2807 



QUESTIONS ON SHAKESPEARE 



HAMLET 



BY 



P. H. PEARSON, A.M. 

PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH LITERATURE IN BETHANY COLLEGE 



Boston 

ALLYN AND BACON 
1900 



QUESTIONS ON SHAKESPEARE 



HAMLET 



U 



BY 



P. H. PEARSON, A.M. 

PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH LITERATURE IN BETHANY COLLEGE 



Shak : : 



Boston 

ALLYN AND BACON 
1900 



38253 



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AUG 24 1900 

Copyright *itry 

SECOND COPY. 

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HAMLET. 



THE ACTION. 

Act I. 

Scene 1 . 

1. What is the state of mind of the soldiers convers- 
ing in the first part of the scene ? Note the irregular 
military challenge ; the statement, " I am sick at heart " ; 
the attention to minute sounds. 

2. Was Horatio a scholar ? Why was it more fitting 
for a scholar to speak to the ghost ? 

3. How is the scene contrived so that the ghost should 
come upon them unawares ? 

4. What explanations in this scene regarding the ex- 
isting state of affairs in Denmark ? 

5. What light has been thrown on certain persons of 
the drama ? 

Scene 2. 

6. Comment on the king's speech. Formal ? Pedan- 
tic ? Majestic ? Strained ? 

1 



2 HAMLET. [Act I. 3-5. 

7. The probable causes of Hamlet's grief, — death of 
his father ? premonitions of foul play ? 

8. Examples of Hamlet's irony : " Thrift, thrift, 
Horatio," etc. 

9. Why does Horatio start so suddenly when Hamlet 
says, " I think I see my father " ? 

10. Note the first of a series of events that tend to 
confirm Hamlet's suspicion of foul play. 

Scene 3. 

11. What opinion does Laertes hold of Hamlet? 
How does it differ from the opinion held by Polonius ? 



12. In the speeches of Ophelia, point out the utter- 
ices that are creditab 
creditable. See III. 1. 



ances that are creditable to her ; also those that are less 



13. How are we to understand the character of Polo- 
nius ? A personage developed for his own sake ? A 
merely decorative figure ? His shallowness a foil to 
Hamlet's deep nature ? 

Scenes 4 and 5. 

14. What natural touches are to be observed in the 
opening lines ? Compare Julius Ccesar, II. 1. 101, " Here 
lies the east : doth not the day break here ? " 

15. Hamlet's cast of mind as portrayed in the scene 
criticising the king's revels. 



Act II. 1.] THE ACTION. 3 

16. Does Hamlet's deportment here indicate irresolu- 
tion? 

17. Point out the elements that start the action : 
revelations made by the ghost. 

18. Explain Hamlet's position and the tasks imposed 
on him after the interview with the ghost. 

19. What length of time is covered by the first act ? 



Act II. 

Scene 1. 

20. What facts tend to establish the length of time 
that has elapsed between Acts I. and II. ? 

21. The twofold purpose of Scene 1. Its mood is dif- 
ferent from that of the preceding act. Indications of 
the time that has passed. 

22. What new phase of Polonius's character is brought 
out in his instructions to Eeynaldo ? 

23. In the line, "And then, sir, does he this — he 
does — what was I about to say ? " — has Polonius really 
lost his cue ? If not, why does he make pretence ? 

24. Comment on the code of honor given by Polonius. 
Is it true of the time of Elizabeth ? Does it belong to 
the era of the Danish prince ? 

25. Is Polonius's explanation of Hamlet's attitude 
toward Ophelia the correct one ? 



HAMLET. [Act II. 2. 



Scene 2. 



26. All the personages, with two exceptions, seem to 
hold that Hamlet's madness is real. The different 
reasons of the king and Horatio respectively for dis- 
crediting this opinion. 

27. Show the different purposes which the following 
characters propose to themselves in this scene : the king 
and queen, Polonius, Hamlet. 

28. Comment on the procedure of each to gain his 
end. 

29. Why can we consider Hamlet's remarks to Horatio 
as affording the most reliable testimony regarding the 
prince's sanity ? See also I. 5. 171 et seq. 

30. Does Hamlet understand the character of Polo- 
nius ? Quote from their conversation. 

31. Was the prince entirely discreet in his admission 
to his friends ? He says, "I cannot reason;" and "I am 
but mad north-north-west," etc. 

32. In what new light does the vanity of Polonius 
appear ? Note his observations about players and the 
drama. 

33. Find the part written by Hamlet for the players, 
III. 2. 

34. How is Hamlet portrayed so far ? Revengeful ? 
Sceptical ? Speculative ? Irresolute ? 



Act III. 1-2.] THE ACTION. 5 

35. In the final soliloquy, show what part of his self- 
portrayal is true and what part false. 



Act III. 

Scene 1 . 

36. What does the king think about the nature of 
Hamlet's lunacy? 

37. Why does Ophelia's reading cause Polonius to 
speak about " devotion's visage and pious action " ? 

38. During the interview it will be seen that Hamlet's 
demeanor toward Ophelia changes. Discuss the cause 
of this : suspects her of playing the part of a decoy ; his 
remarks intended for the eavesdroppers rather than for 
her ; his cruel words directed toward her sex rather than 
any individual. 

39. In what way have the theories held respectively 
by the king and Polonius been altered during the conver- 
sation they have overheard ? 

Scene 2. 

40. Discuss Hamlet's directions to the players. The 
poet has here entrusted part of his professional creed to 
Hamlet. In view of this, what impression did the poet 
intend to convey as to the prince's sanity ? 

41. Does any remark of Hamlet show whether he is 
now convinced of the king's guilt ? 



6 HAMLET. [Act III. 3. 

42. Does the proof here given in any manner alter the 
prince's conduct ? 

43. Has the prince now any good reason for delaying 
his plans -of revenge ? 

44. Why does Polonius assent to everything in his last 
conversation with Hamlet ? 



Scene 3. 

45. Are the means adopted by the king to get rid of 
Hamlet in keeping with the character of the king as 
it has been revealed thus far ? Secret, underhanded 
tactics of espionage. 

46. Where and by whom is the first suggestion made 
that Polonius should play eavesdropper at the proposed 
interview between the prince and his mother ? 

47. After having seen the king at prayer, can there be 
any reasonable doubt in Hamlet's mind about the king's 
guilt ? 

48. Instances of "dramatic hedging" in the king's 
monologue. — Though steeped in guilt, his moral nature 
does not succumb without a struggle. 

49. Discuss Hamlet's alleged reasons for postponing 
the act of vengeance. 

50. Show how this scene serves to reveal the central 
weakness in the prince's character. 



Act III. 4.] THE ACTION. 7 

51. Note that the Nemesis action proceeds indepen- 
dently of Hamlet's strength or weakness. Show how 
this is trne in the case of the king. 

Scene 4. 

52. In what respect would the queen claim that Hamlet 
had offended his stepfather ? 

53. To what extent does the prince believe the queen 
guilty ? 

54. Can she be considered an accomplice in the slaying 
of her husband ? 

55. Did Hamlet know who was behind the arras ? 

56. How can his unusual promptness in this instance 
be accounted for ? 

57. What keeps the queen from acting in accordance 
with her disposition toward repentance as evinced in the 
interview ? 

58. Instances of Hamlet's filial affection; of his 
cruelty. 

59. In what way has the plot now become more 
complicated? 

Act IV. 

Scene 1 . 

60. Is the line, "There's matter in these sighs," the 
real beginning of Act IV.? If not, where does this act 
properly begin ? 



8 HAMLET. [Act IV. 2-3. 

61. Does the queen's report to the king show whether 
she wishes to palliate the offence of her son ? 

62. In the king's speeches, what evidence is there that 
he is chiefly concerned about his own safety ? 



Scene 2. 

63. What is implied in the epithet "sponge," in the 
conversation between Hamlet and Rosencrantz ? 

64. What evidence is here given that Hamlet acts in 
an assumed character ? 

65. At this stage the rapidity of the action is in- 
creased. Show how this part of the play is managed so 
as to give it a more rapid movement. 



Scene 3. 

66. According to the king, Hamlet was " loved of the 
distracted multitude." What traits in him would be apt 
to make him a favorite with the people ? 

67. Show how the king's actions and plans still accord 
with his character of cunning and craftiness. 

68. Does Hamlet divine the king's true purpose in 
sending him to England ? 

69. Does the play appear any nearer to a decisive 

issue at the end of this scene ? 



Act IV. 4-6.] THE ACTION. 9 



Scene 4. 

70. To what previous scene does the event here re- 
counted point back ? 

71. Show how the character of Hamlet is here con- 
trasted with that of Fortinbras. 

72. Which of the preceding soliloquies does the one 
here given most closely resemble ? 

Scene 5. 

73. The cause or causes that had unbalanced the 
mind of Ophelia. 

74. The progress of the Nemesis action against 
Claudius. 

75. What dramatic purpose is served by the impetuous 
conduct of Laertes ? 

76. Note Hamlet's character as contrasted with that of 
Laertes 

77. How is the coming of Laertes made to appear 
expected and natural ? 

Scene 6. 

78. What caused the king's plans against the life of 
the prince to fail ? 

79. Does this scene promise to hasten or to retard the 
catastrophe ? 

80. The real purpose of this scene. 



10 HAMLET. [Act IV. 7. 

Scene 7. 

81. Explain the time scheme of Scenes 5, 6, and 7. 

82. Discuss the means and arguments used by the 
king to appease Laertes. 

83. Prior to the arrival of the messenger, what course 
does the king evidently intend to hold against Laertes ? 

84. What difference in the effect produced on the 
king and Laertes by the news of Hamlet's arrival ? 

85. Indicate the place in the dialogue where the king 
first conceives a new course of action. 

86. What act of Laertes tends to change our good 
opinion of him ? 

87. What tragic occurrences have so far taken place ? 

88. What fitness is there in presenting the mental 
aberration and the death of Ophelia in a poetic light ? 

Act V. 

Scene 1 . 

89. What is the purpose of this scene ? Its effect on 
the movement of the story ? 

90. Is any new side of Hamlet brought out in his con- 
versation with Horatio ? 



Act V. 2.] THE ACTION. 11 

91. What facts can be gleaned in this act, as well as 
in other acts, about Hamlet's age ? I. 3. 123 ; III. 2. 
165 ; V. 1. 160-170. 

92. What is the reason for Laertes's impatience in his 
question, " What ceremony else ? " 

93. When did Hamlet first learn of Ophelia's death ? 

94. Discuss the meeting of the two young men in the 
graveyard. In what light is the prince presented here ? 

Scene 2. 

95. In what way does this scene connect with previous 
events ? 

96. Does the phrase, '' So much for this," argue indif- 
ference on the part of the speaker ? 

97. Is the narrative given here necessary to account 
for Hamlet's return, to announce the fate of the courtiers, 
or to exhibit beyond a shadow of doubt the villainy of 
the king ? 

98. How does Hamlet justify himself for the taking 
off of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ? 

99. From the conversation with Osric, show Hamlet's 
skill in assumed demeanor. 

100. Are his explanations to Laertes sincere ? 

101. In the duel, does he seem to be aware of the plot 
laid against his life ? 

ItfC 



12 HAMLET. 

102. Is the final act of vengeance a consummation of 
plans deliberately laid ? 

103. What glimpses of restored order and harmony 
are given? 



THE CHARACTERS. 

Claudius. 

104. Similarities and contrasts between Claudius and 
Macbeth. In contrast with the rude and heedless force 
of Macbeth, show the many respects in which the nature 
of the Danish king is entirely different. His true char- 
acter may, in a measure, be determined by his 

(a) Choice of instruments in carrying out his designs 

— poison instead of dagger. 

(b) Overtures of peace ; reconciliation with the king of 

Norway. 

(c) Cautious tactics against the prince. 

(d) Evident desire of enjoying his ill-gotten possessions 

in peace. 

(e) Revels and drunkenness, I. 4. 8-37. 

(/) Crafty villainy as evidenced by his plot to have 
Hamlet slain in England, V. 2. 24. Further 
instances of like designs, V. 7. 128-163. 

(g) Yielding to the demands of Laertes and employing 
every means to pacify his anger. 



THE CHARACTERS. 13 

105. Character as illustrated by his attempts at pray- 
ing, III. 3. He is tossed between impotent remorse and 
an uncontrollable desire to retain and enjoy the fruits of 
his crime. Note the bit of weak self-deception in his 
concluding words, " All may be well." 

106. The king's speeches, particularly the formal man- 
ner of his monologue, I. 2. Hamlet's description of 
him. His conduct toward the queen, the prince, Polo- 
nius, Laertes. 

The Queen. 

107. Refer to the play for illustrations, showing 
whether the queen is dominated by ambition, hate, or 
love. Is the cause of her fall either of these passions or 
a moral nature made lax by the luxurious and effeminate 
customs at court? 

108. The queen's complicity in the crimes committed 
by the king, I. 5 ; III. 2. 113 ; III. 4. 30. 

109. Her maternal love for Hamlet probably not en- 
tirely extinguished, III. 4; IV. 1. 27; IV. 7. 11 et seq.; 
V. 1. 267. 

Polonius. 

110. In what sense can Polonius be considered a foil 
to Hamlet ? The experience of Polonius and his knowl- 
edge of court craft do not save him from being unmasked 
by the superior intellect of Hamlet, II. 2; III. 2. His 
"copy book" maxims (I. 3) in contrast with the pro- 
found speculations of the prince. 



14 HAMLET. 

111. Discussion of how the character of Polonius 
should be acted; the manner of his utterances, voice, 
walk, bearing, gestures. 

112. Passages where the sententious utterances of 
Polonius become irony when applied to the old courtier 
himself. 

113. Can any distinction be drawn between Rosen- 
crantz and G-uildenstern as to their moral and intellectual 
worth ? These figures are developed only so far as the 
exigencies of the play require. 

Ophelia. 

114. Her true character. A deep nature or shallow ? 
Is she a silent victim of unostentatious but sincere love 
for Hamlet, or were her affections crushed by her father 
and her brother? — these are the questions connected 
with Ophelia. 

Her weakness is apparent in III. 1. She allows her- 
self to become an instrument, a decoy in a plot against 
her lover; she acquiesces, plays a part; she reads a 
prayer-book and is devout as part of her role. 

From another point of view, however, she is regarded 
as a deep, northern nature, not so impulsive as a Juliet, 
but no less affectionate. She was capable of inspiring 
the prince with love for her. Her early training had 
taught her obedience. With a strong sense of loyalty to 
her father, she is led to prevaricate when, in answer to 
Hamlet's question, "Where is your father?" she says, 
" At home, my lord," III. 1. 131. She pathetically sacri- 



THE CHARACTERS. 15 

fices her love to her sense of filial obedience. These 
passions, moreover, must have been dominant in her, 
because they were strong enough to unhinge her mind. 

Hamlet. 

115. A comparison between Hamlet and Brutus. The 
attributes they have in common. Tendency to philoso- 
phize — high moral ideals — unfitness for vigorous and 
successful action. 

116. Does Hamlet stand entirely alone in the play? 
Does Ophelia's attachment sustain or support him in 
any emergency ? Is Horatio prominent enough to share 
the grievances of the prince ? Does it seem to be con- 
sistent with the plot to make the prince a solitary 
figure ? 

117. How is Hamlet's apparent cruelty toward 
Ophelia to be accounted for ? What previous causes did 
he have for losing faith in womankind ? Is the invec- 
tive of III. 1 to be regarded as directed against 
Ophelia personally, or rather as against her sex? Is 
this consistent with the previously noticed inclinations 
of the prince to generalize ? 

118. The construction which Ophelia puts on his 
actions — charitable or otherwise ? How far modified 
by her personal feelings toward him? How far 
correct ? 

119. The various occasions that urged the prince to 
put into action his plans of vengeance. 



16 HAMLET. 

120. How is the sympathy and interest which the 
whole world shows in Hamlet to be accounted for? It 
will be seen that this interest is maintained in spite of 
the fact that his lack of resolution causes victim after 
victim to be sacrificed. 

121. Discuss the following views concerning the char- 
acter of Hamlet and the problem of the drama : — 

(a) According to G-ervinus, Hamlet is a character be- 

longing to modern society who tries to rise 
above the era of heroic wildness in which he is 
cast, where all depends on physical force and 
action, powers which destiny has denied him. 

(b) The opinion of Werder is that the problem lies in 

the outward difficulties surrounding Hamlet. 
Not only is the murderer and usurper to be 
punished, but the world is to be given adequate 
proof of his guilt, tasks which the outward con- 
ditions make impossible of accomplishment. 

(c) Kreyszig holds that Hamlet is an originally noble 

and genially endowed spirit, made unfit for 
action, however, by one-sided culture and over- 
refinement. The conditions by which he finds 
himself surrounded require him to leave his 
world of thought and words and to attempt a 
particularly difficult task, a task entirely out of 
harmony with his own world of ideas. 

(d) The views of Goethe : "A lovely, pure, noble, and 

most moral nature, without the strength of 
nerve which forms a hero, sinks beneath a 



THE STRUCTURE. 17 

burden which it cannot bear and must not cast 
away. All duties are holy for him ; the present 
is too hard. Impossibilities have been required 
of him; not in themselves impossibilities, but 
such for him. He winds and turns and tor- 
ments himself; he advances and recoils; is 
ever put in mind, ever puts himself in mind ; at 
last does all but lose his purpose from his 
thoughts, yet still without recovering his peace 
of mind." 

(e) From Lectures on Shakespeare by Coleridge : 
" Hence we see (in him) a great, an almost enor- 
mous intellectual activity, and a proportionate 
aversion to real action, consequent upon it, with 
all its symptoms and accompanying qualities. 
This character Shakespeare places in circum- 
stances under which it is obliged to act on the 
spur of the moment. Hamlet is brave and 
careless of death, but he vacillates from sensi- 
bility and procrastinates from thought, and loses 
the power of action in the energy of resolve." 

THE STRUCTURE. 

The Plot. 

122. Introduction : — 

(a) Its tragic tone indicated by the anxiety of the 
soldiers and the appearance of the ghost. Retro- 
spective narrative (Scene 2), revealing the situa- 
tion. 



18 HAMLET. 

The motive elements : — 

(a) The appearance of the ghost ; its revelations to 

Hamlet. 

(b) Hamlet confronted by a task particularly difficult 

to a nature like his. 

Complicating actions : — 

(a) Polonius presents his theory of Hamlet's madness. 

(b) The prince conceives the idea of testing the king's 

guilt by a play. 

(c) The opposing faction ; their espionage. The king 

sceptical regarding the reasons presented for the 
prince's madness. 

(d) The play of Act III. ; a preparation for the climax. 

The climax : — 

(a) The king at prayer ; Hamlet's hesitation. 

(b) The first victim of the tragic conflict. 

Resolving actions : — 

(a) Fortinbras and Hamlet on the way. 

(5) Laertes appears and demands revenge. 

(c) Laertes and the king plot against the life of Hamlet. 
(cl) Relief action — the grave-diggers. 

Catastrophe : — 

(a) Hamlet's premonitions of a fatal issue. 



THE STRUCTURE. 19 

(6) The duel — the entanglement completely resolved 
in a brief Nemesis action. 

(c) Glimpses of restored harmony. 



The Treatment. 

123. There are two forces in every drama arrayed in 
opposition, resulting eventually in a collision and leading 
up to a catastrophe. Point out the two forces here ; also 
what constitutes the collision and the catastrophe. 

124. What means serve the purpose of starting the 
action ? 

125. What length of time is covered by the first act ? 
What time elapses between the first and second acts ? 

126. Point out the relief scenes of Acts I., II., III., 
and V. 

127. Comment on artistically conducted dialogues; 
for instance, I. 2. 

128. Can any scene or event be regarded as an episode, 
i.e., as a part which does not enter into the integral 
structure of the piece ? 

129. Shakespeare's use of prose in this play. Exam- 
ine the prose scenes, and note (a) that the subject-matter 
presents a marked contrast to that of the adjoining 
scenes ; (b) that the tone from a poetical point of view 
is lowered. 



20 HAMLET. 



THE HISTORY. 

130. What is known regarding the source of the play ? 

131. In what way had the same subject been used 
before the time of Shakespeare ? 

132. The Quarto of 1603; its probable origin. The 
conversation between Hamlet and Horatio (III. 2) is 
lacking; so is also the brief monologue concluding the 
scene, and finally, the meeting of Hamlet and Fortinbras, 
in IV. 4. 

133. Classification on the basis of the subject-matter. 

134. The society portrayed. Does it represent an age 
of rude and untamed energies like that of Macbeth ? An 
age of sickly affectation and corrupt manners ? 

135. The story discussed with reference to its depar- 
ture from the original narrative of Saxo Grammaticus. 
In the original story as given by Saxo, Hamlet is by no 
means the irresolute visionary of the play. He proceeds 
in a direct and resolute manner. In England he wins 
the hand of the king's daughter. On returning to Den- 
mark he finds that he is thought to be dead, and that the 
king is busy with his funeral ; whereupon he immediately 
exacts a bloody revenge on the king and his retainers. 
He justifies his act to the people, and is proclaimed 
king. Then he heads an expedition against England, 
slays the English king, and finally returns to Denmark 
with two wives, one of whom at last becomes the cause 
of his death. 



BOOKS OF BEFEBENCE. 21 



BOOKS OF REFERENCE. 

Shakespearian Grammar : Dr. E. A. Abbott. 

Shakspere Primer : Edward Dowden. 

Shakespeare ; his Life, Art, and Characters : H. N. Hudson. 

Outlines of the Life of Shakespeare : Halliwell-Phillipps. 

History of the Life and Work of Shakespeare : G. E. Fleay. 

Shakespeare, the Man : Walter Bagehot (Vol. I.) 

A Life of William Shakespeare : Sidney Lee. 

Introduction to the Study of Shakespeare : Hiram Corson. 

Lectures on Shakespeare : Bernhard ten Brink. 

Characteristics of English Poets : William Minto. 

Lectures on Shakespeare : S. T. Coleridge. 

New Variorum Edition : H. H. Eurness. 

The Cambridge Shakespeare : W. A. Wright. 

Shakespeare Lexicon : A. Schmidt. 

Shakespeare Concordance : J. Bartlett. 



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